Giant Cell Myocarditis: A Time Sensitive Distant Diagnosis.

Giant cell myocarditis is a rare type of rapidly progressive myocarditis. We present a dramatic case of giant cell myocarditis in a young female with an initial presentation of acute heart failure. Her clinical course was complicated with recurrent cardiac arrhythmias, specifically non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, for which a dual chamber automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) was implanted.

Increasing adult Tdap vaccination rates by vaccinating infant caregivers in the pediatric office.

Objective: To increase adult caregiver Tdap vaccination rates by offering Tdap vaccine during infant well-child visits.

Methods: We developed a pilot vaccine initiative wherein pediatricians offered Tdap vaccine to mothers and non-mother caregivers attending the 2-week well-child visit at a hospital-based clinic serving predominantly low-income families. We evaluated this initiative by asking mothers and caregivers to participate in a survey after the 2-week visit to determine self-reported Tdap vaccination status, demographics, and the source of their adult primary care.

Coordinated changes in classes of ribosomal protein gene expression is associated with light-induced retinal degeneration.

Purpose: To identify genes with altered expression levels in the degenerating retina in a light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) model.

Methods: Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to intense green light for 4 hours. After this treatment, the retinas were excised, RNA was extracted, and a cDNA library was prepared.

Identification and characterization of genes differentially expressed in the testis/vas deferens of the fed male tick, Amblyomma hebraeum.

Most ixodid ticks must feed for at least a few days to complete gonad maturation. Substances produced by the mature male gonad, and carried in the spermatophore, induce physiological changes in the female that lead to engorgement and oviposition. To begin defining the molecular phenotype at this stage of male development, we differentially cross-screened a cDNA library made from the testis and vas deferens of fed ticks (Amblyomma hebraeum Koch) and isolated 35 genes that were putatively up-regulated in tissues of fed compared to unfed animals.